Fit Suspension & Brake ModificationsThreads discussing suspension and brake related modifications for the Honda Fit
Welcome to Fit Freak!
Welcome to Fit Freak,
You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, at no cost, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!
At last count there were 6 left here is the last post in the "Progress Auto Rear Anti-Sway bar! WITH DIY PHOTOS" thread http://www.fitfreak.net/forums/139990-post191.html and New Edge is in Cresaptown, MD.
__________________
07 FIT Taffeta White, 5sp M/T Sport
i order one today and got lucky,i spoke to Tonny hes verry helpful and said they still have them in stock,only few left in stock,hopefully i get mine next week.
i order one today and got lucky,i spoke to Tonny hes verry helpful and said they still have them in stock,only few left in stock,hopefully i get mine next week.
Good move! That will be the most effective money that you have spent since buying your car.
Good move! That will be the most effective money that you have spent since buying your car.
Thanks for the help, 2hot6ft2!
You're welcome. Before we get this out of hand the Progress Sway Bar discussion should be in the thread for it. This is after all the thread for the Front Strut Bar.
Just bought them too. I contacted Tuan for a damn shiftknob, he didnt have it so I ended up buying strut bars. Hahaha.
I then went to AJ-R for the knob, found one and ended up buying a knob, lower arm bar, and an oil cap.
From what i read most of A-spec's products are top notch for the buck. But i dunno, seems to be a little to picky on the review. I dont know if this was a first time using a strut-bar or what. On my ek I had a skunk2 3 pt bar in the front and a 2 pt in the rear, and password is also a very popular and proven company. they both caused the paint to rub a little and end up with scratches etc. I could see yea, maybe the hardware needs to be proved upon, but thats it imo. I will see how it is when i receive the bars.
Even with tanabe the design is very similar, so that would cause the same problems (if they are even really problems??). So far I have only seen 4 companies that afordable strut tower bars for the Fit, DC, A-spec, tanabe, and ebay special. And A-spec is the best priced.
From what i read most of A-spec's products are top notch for the buck. But i dunno, seems to be a little to picky on the review. I dont know if this was a first time using a strut-bar or what. On my ek I had a skunk2 3 pt bar in the front and a 2 pt in the rear, and password is also a very popular and proven company. they both caused the paint to rub a little and end up with scratches etc. I could see yea, maybe the hardware needs to be proved upon, but thats it imo. I will see how it is when i receive the bars.
Even with tanabe the design is very similar, so that would cause the same problems (if they are even really problems??). So far I have only seen 4 companies that unfordable strut tower bars for the Fit, DC, A-spec, tanabe, and ebay special. And A-spec is the best priced.
IMO these strut bars are worthless, I've ran streets of willow with and without the strut bars in the same day and felt absolutely no difference. I can take the bars by their ends and bend them in half with just my arms (and no, I'm not that strong). If I were to go with any strut bar, it would be the Cusco rear strut bar, it actually attaches to the body of the car, not just the tops of the shocks... just my $.02
__________________ Mods so far:
A Spec CAI
Rota Slipstreams 15x6.5 +40
XenithXenons 6000K Bi-Xenon
KBee Coilovers (Don't waste your money )
H-Fit Short Shifter
Skunk2 50mm Exhaust
WeaponR Street Header
oh yea I can agree with the rear since it is not really reducing body flex. I dunno, I will install the rear first and drive it. See if their is a difference. Then I will install the front.
But the tanabe and a few other companies have the same design. So I dunno still until i try it. The fit is a world difference compared to my civic's I have owned
So I just installed these today. Dont think Ive felt a difference. When I pulled them from the box, Jro is right. Cheap, light, easily bendable. Plus, I cant recline my rear seats to the locking point anymore. GRRRR.
Im going to leave them on though. They look coolio. I'll wait for a little while and order the rear strut bar/cage.
I might pull the front one off, it wasnt that easy to install and Id hate for the hardware to rust as some say it does.
Awaiting my T1R products now. HEHE!
I can take the bars by their ends and bend them in half with just my arms (and no, I'm not that strong).
I just installed J's Front and C-Pillar Bars and noticed a huge difference on the streets. Also I doubt you could bend the J's bars because they are beefy and well made.
I could see some of these other bars being bendable even the spoon one it's really small but the J's ones are nice and oversized.
Wow, Manx, I wish your thread had come up in my search a few weeks ago.
The quality has not changed one bit. I changed all the hardware to grade 8 right off the bat. And their claim to the metal being 6061, let alone T6 is totally wrong. I work with 6061 all the time and at BEST it's no more than 2014. Aside from experience how can I tell? Well, first I have to admit the bar wasn't a perfect fit (sorry for the pun), so I had to bend it a bit straighter to clear some ducting, pipework and the brake res. in my '08. A bar this size and shape should be able to stand quite a bit of force from trying to bend against the curvature. With T6 you should be able to grab both ends face the bar to the floor, push it down FLAT (rising in the middle section) and get an almost total spring back to original. Fortunately for me I gave my bar a warm up nudge before starting to lay into it. This bar can't possibly do anything in compression and due to the bends in the design, there would be far too much play/slack in tension to be of any appreciable use.
If someone could PM me the hole spacing from left to right side on a rigid STB, I'd really appreciate it. I think i"ll just make my own and use a good steel.
Oh and Manx, please forgive me man, I'm not trying to step on your toes, but just to clarify something before anyone goes shopping for metal, 4140 and 4130 are carbon steels, no nickel content (not ss). Also known as aircraft CroMo and excellent stuff though, absolutely. And tubing, aside from being lighter than solids, also resists fatigue and crack propagation better. It's the primary reason MT bike axles went to quick release (hollow tubes). If any one wants a good Stainless steel (why, I don't know. It's way heavy and has a lower tensile strength than carbon steels) go for a 414 if you can find it in tube, 405 or the readily available 316 grade. Oh, be sitting down when you get your quote.
Otherwise Manxman's right, go 4130/4140. Check out why at matweb.com, look for "Tensile strength, yield" and "elongation", both very important.
Too late for me, but I hope it'll save someone else some cash.
Good write up man.
__________________
A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. Douglas Adams, 1952-2001
Wow, Manx, I wish your thread had come up in my search a few weeks ago.
The quality has not changed one bit. I changed all the hardware to grade 8 right off the bat. And their claim to the metal being 6061, let alone T6 is totally wrong. I work with 6061 all the time and at BEST it's no more than 2014. Aside from experience how can I tell? Well, first I have to admit the bar wasn't a perfect fit (sorry for the pun), so I had to bend it a bit straighter to clear some ducting, pipework and the brake res. in my '08. A bar this size and shape should be able to stand quite a bit of force from trying to bend against the curvature. With T6 you should be able to grab both ends face the bar to the floor, push it down FLAT (rising in the middle section) and get an almost total spring back to original. Fortunately for me I gave my bar a warm up nudge before starting to lay into it. This bar can't possibly do anything in compression and due to the bends in the design, there would be far too much play/slack in tension to be of any appreciable use.
If someone could PM me the hole spacing from left to right side on a rigid STB, I'd really appreciate it. I think i"ll just make my own and use a good steel.
Oh and Manx, please forgive me man, I'm not trying to step on your toes, but just to clarify something before anyone goes shopping for metal, 4140 and 4130 are carbon steels, no nickel content (not ss). Also known as aircraft CroMo and excellent stuff though, absolutely. And tubing, aside from being lighter than solids, also resists fatigue and crack propagation better. It's the primary reason MT bike axles went to quick release (hollow tubes). If any one wants a good Stainless steel (why, I don't know. It's way heavy and has a lower tensile strength than carbon steels) go for a 414 if you can find it in tube, 405 or the readily available 316 grade. Oh, be sitting down when you get your quote.
Otherwise Manxman's right, go 4130/4140. Check out why at matweb.com, look for "Tensile strength, yield" and "elongation", both very important.
Too late for me, but I hope it'll save someone else some cash.
Good write up man.
Wow!
New guys DO read old threads. Nice to hear from someone with some tech. background for a change. Since I started this thread, I have had no interest at all in any Aspec products, just based on the negative value of this strut bar.
But, going back to my doubts about the effectiveness of ANY strut bar, if there actually were enough movement of the strut towers to REQUIRE a brace, 1. there would be one there already from the factory, and 2. needing one but not having one, you would see cracked metal and chipped paint from the tops of the struts moving around on top of the painted "tin can" towers. I don't believe that they move. If I am right, it won't matter what material you use for a more rigid bar, it will just sit there, in the way of your master cylinder reservoir.
I still believe that everyone saying how much improvement they have in handling with any brand of front strut bar, merely has a really good imagination, and should have spent their money on something that really works instead.
Dave, if "handling" means taking more g-forces with turns, your more then welcome to use my car's g-meter (a.k.a my navi) to test out how much more g's the car is able to take with and without the strut bar. BUT, if "handling" is judge by response and body roll, I do not think there a meter or gauge to judge that (or at least with my knowledge).
Quote:
Originally Posted by manxman
Wow!
New guys DO read old threads. Nice to hear from someone with some tech. background for a change. Since I started this thread, I have had no interest at all in any Aspec products, just based on the negative value of this strut bar.
But, going back to my doubts about the effectiveness of ANY strut bar, if there actually were enough movement of the strut towers to REQUIRE a brace, 1. there would be one there already from the factory, and 2. needing one but not having one, you would see cracked metal and chipped paint from the tops of the struts moving around on top of the painted "tin can" towers. I don't believe that they move. If I am right, it won't matter what material you use for a more rigid bar, it will just sit there, in the way of your master cylinder reservoir.
I still believe that everyone saying how much improvement they have in handling with any brand of front strut bar, merely has a really good imagination, and should have spent their money on something that really works instead.
__________________
Entertainment- Pioneer Avic-D3
Power- Blitz Throttle Controller (Thanks Dave), SHG_Mike inspired Airbox mod, T1R V2 muffler
Handling- Progress RearSway Bar w/Panducky bolts, T1r lower arm and rear strut bar, SPC Camber Kit, Falken Ziex ZE-912 w/ LS Meshes
Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't the car be jacked up before installing strut bars? I read it somewhere that if you don't jack up the car for installation, you lose out on most of the benefit of havinga strut bar in the first place.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't the car be jacked up before installing strut bars? I read it somewhere that if you don't jack up the car for installation, you lose out on most of the benefit of havinga strut bar in the first place.
Yeah, Tanabe states this on their website. But when i installed my Tananbe front strut, I think you have to jack up the front anyways, because you have to reach into the top of the wheel well to thread the bolts to the nut. And if the cars lowered, i dont know how you could install it without jacking up the front. . But it was scary because i dont have jack stands, so i had the front jacked up on 2 of those stupid stock flimsy jacks. So i was scared that the jacks were going to crap out and the fenders were gona break both my forearms. LOL. But i worked fast
I have the Tanabe Strut Tower Bar in my 08 FIT and I noted a difference in HARD cornering with it installed. When I installed it I lifted the car like instructed and when the time came to attach the bar to the installed mounts I started with the left mount and finger tightened the bolt. I then adjusted the other end of the bar to be a little past where the mount hole lined up. To line up the holes I simply put some bend on the bar and popped the bolt through when I was lined up. That way the strut bar was pushing outwards with more force when it was fully installed.
When you corner hard the outside front wheel and strut is pushed up as the load of the car increases. This should to some extent push the inside wheel down that is being unloaded due to the turn if the bar has plenty of outward tension on it.
Hope that helps some. Even if the bar doesn't do much it looks bitchin' when you pop the hood =).
And congrats boyetssilverfit.
)
. But it was scary because i dont have jack stands, so i had the front jacked up on 2 of those stupid stock flimsy jacks. So i was scared that the jacks were going to crap out and the fenders were gona break both my forearms. LOL. But i worked fast
Linear Mode
